BOOM.
The metal walls of the Caze tremble under a brutal impact.
The ground vibrates beneath my feet, like the monstrous heartbeat of something unseen, pulsing through my bones.
The sound echoes, shattering the air, tearing through space like thunder.
My ears ring. The air turns heavy, suffocating.
A wave of heat engulfs me, sweat clings to my skin, my muscles tense, ready to snap under the pressure.
— Iris: Alert. Hostility detected. Critical proximity.
A flash in my skull—sharp, too clear to ignore.
Roch, usually unshakable, freezes.
His eyes harden.
A grimace twists his lips—not a smile, something colder.
He tilts his head, like an old predator sensing the shift in the wind, then clicks his tongue.
— Roch: Tch. Fuck. Already?
He kicks the table aside like it's second nature to send things flying.
With a fluid, mechanical motion, he throws on his old poncho.
— Me: What the hell is going on?
The ground trembles again. A metallic screech slices through the air, sharp—like claws scraping against glass.
My muscles tighten, ready to explode.
I turn.
Through the metal walls, a bluish glow erupts in the darkness, followed by a sudden flash of energy.
It streaks across the dented walls of the Caze.
— Roch: They found the breach.
A cold shiver runs down my spine. The chill is suffocating.
— Me: Who's "they"?! And what breach?!
Roch throws me a quick glance—cold, unreadable. No words. Just a motion.
He pulls out his revolver. No hesitation. Pure reflex.
— Roch: You want the comforting version or the real one?
— Me: This ain't the time for philosophy, old man!
— Roch: Anomaly Hunters.
BOOM!
The metal door explodes, sent flying into the room like a crushed can.
I hit the ground instinctively.
The noise shreds through my eardrums.
Dust swirls round me.
A silhouette emerges in the opening.
Massive. Twisted. Overbearing.
Its arms are too long, its metallic fingers sharp as blades.
Its skin—a grotesque patchwork of steel and burned flesh—blends into the darkness.
Its eye sockets are empty, black voids.
Roch doesn't flinch.
He raises his gun and fires.
BANG.
The shot makes the creature stagger. Black liquid gushes from its shoulder, but it doesn't fall.
It slowly turns, expressionless.
Then…
It screams.
A piercing, gut-wrenching wail, like a blade stabbing straight into the soul.
It drills into my skull, makes my mind bleed.
My shadow twists on the floor, as if answering the creature's cry.
— Iris: Level 3 interference detected. Master!
Roch shoves me outside rough, no warning.
A brutal push, and I roll onto the dusty ground, the impact crushing my breath.
Behind us, creatures emerge from the shadows.
Hunters.
Cold. Unrelenting.
They move in formation, their steps pounding in perfect sync—precise, terrifying.
— Me: Oh, fuck me…
Roch steps out, unwavering.
He steadies his gun, unreadable, like he saw this coming.
— Roch: You got two choices, Rasta. Either stand there asking dumb questions or run.
I got the message.
No need to say it twice.
I ran.
We weave through the ruins, each step kicking up dust, every shattered structure threatening to swallow us whole.
The Anomaly Hunters are close.
Too close.
Their relentless footsteps echo through the deserted streets—an endless pursuit.
The streets twist under my feet, as if the world itself wants to trap us.
Roch tosses something behind him.
A small black obsidian sphere.
It explodes.
A dark wave engulfs the creatures.
A few seconds of breathing room.
Just enough to survive.
— Me: You had that the whole time?!
— Roch: I ain't here to look pretty, Rasta.
We rush down a narrow alley, the scent of iron and death thick in the air.
Up ahead—a gaping abyss.
A black void, lined by a rusted metal bridge.
The horizon vanishes into nothingness.
— Me: Where the hell does that lead?!
— Roch: Away from here. And that's good enough.
He doesn't hesitate.
He jumps, without looking back.
Not a second's doubt.
I follow.
As my feet leave the ground, a screech rips through the air.
The Anomaly Hunters—too close. Too fast.
But it's too late.
I plunge into the abyss…
And something is waiting for me.